Mentha Canadensis plant named &#39;Umpqua&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct variety of  Mentha canadensis , ‘Umpqua’ is characterized by its unique flavor profile providing for a distinct long-lasting mouth cooling sensation. The new varietal offers a very clean, fresh mouthfeel and intense nasal properties with strong cooling characteristic sensations that increase as it is experienced.

Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: Menthacanadensis.

Variety determination: ‘Umpqua’.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct mint plantbotanically known as Mentha canadensis. The new variety has been named‘Umpqua’ and will be referred to as such herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The essential oil industry refers to members of this species as “Menthaarvensis”. This includes varieties as ‘Shivalik’, ‘Kosi’, ‘Kalka,’ etc.Botanically, these plants are M. canadensis species, with Menthaarvensis being a different, significantly less commercial, mint species.The botanical differences allow one to differentiate between the twospecies through the use of current botanical keys for the genus Mentha(Lawrence 2007; Tucker and Debaggio 2000). The use of “Mentha arvensis”by the industry should be interpreted as a colloquial industry usage foran “oil type” and not one of botanical specificity as these plants arecorrectly botanically identified as M. canadensis.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new mint plant of the present invention was developed in an effortto cultivate a mint variety having a unique flavor profile providing fora distinct long-lasting mouth cooling sensation compared to other mintplants. The new varietal offers a very clean, fresh mouthfeel andintense nasal properties with strong cooling characteristic sensationsthat increase as the oil from the new varietal is experiences.

Umpqua oil may be used in flavoring confections, pharmaceuticals,beverages, tobacco, and oral care products including, but not limitedto, chewing gum, hard boiled candy, soft chews, pressed tablets, mintflavored chocolate, bakery, toothpaste, mouthwash, cough and throatlozenges, cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, flavored beverages, and syrups.The oil from Umpqua may be used at usage levels from 0.01 to 5.0% byweight, either by itself or in combination with other mint oils,components thereof, or natural and/or synthetic flavoring materials inthe finished product depending on the finished application.

Umpqua is disease resistant, has a greater stand longevity as comparedto other mint plants, demonstrates excellent growth vigor, requires lesscrop rotation, and provides greater yields that other mint plants, whileenhancing the cooling sensory experiences in flavor profiles. Thesequalities give mint growers a more sustainable and profitable optionover the typical M. canadensis varieties grown.

The inventors explored non-GMO methods of creating genetically distinctmint plants through soma clonal variation of the variety of Menthacanadensis Metolius described in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,053 P3. Umpquawas created using this method.

Umpqua has been under continuous evaluation. Asexual propagation thoughstem and rhizome cuttings have been successfully carried out many times.The resulting propagules have remained stable in appearance, oilquality, and other characteristics to the original planta.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct mint plant named‘Umpqua’ characterized by a unique flavor profile providing along-lasting, mouth cooling sensation compared to other mint plants. Theoil chemistry and flavor profile of ‘Umpqua’ is also similar throughoutits maturity when grown in the U.S. mint producing regions of Oregon,Washington, and Idaho.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying color photographs of ‘Umpqua’ shows the new variety.

FIG. 1 shows the flower spike of ‘Umpqua.’

FIG. 2 shows the mature leaves of ‘Umpqua.’

FIG. 3 shows SNPs of Umpqua compared to other Mentha canadensisvarieties.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a new and distinct variety of a Menthacanadensis plant having the following characteristics that, incombination, are not exhibited in other M. canadensis plants:

-   -   1. oil having a distinct flavor profile characterized by        significantly longer lasting mouth and nasal cooling compared to        other mint plants along with a clean profile;    -   2. oil characterization for this M. canadensis varietal is        featured having typical chemistry markers represented by the        following ranges for Menthone 5.0 to 25.0%, d-Isomenthone 3.0 to        6.0%, isopulegol 0.3 to 0.8%, neo-menthol 1.0 to 3.0%, Menthol        50 to 80%, Pulegone 0.0 to 0.2%, beta-Caryophyllene 0.4 to 1.0%        and Germacrene D 0.5 to 2.5%; and    -   3. strong resistance to the diseases Verticillium wilt and mint        rust.

Oil Composition. The analytical assay determined that ‘Umpqua’ hasessentially the same chemical composition structure as other M.canadensis cultivars with identical components, the relative amountsfeature components as discussed herein that follow within range of atypical canadensis with very little variation, but complete distinctionfrom other known cultivars of mint varieties such as M. x piperita.

Analytical results show the presence of typical molecular markers foundin M. canadensis, like alcohols, ketones, monoterpenes andsesquiterpenes. When the essential oil from this NA canadensis varietyis steam distilled, the oil yields a mix of alcohols such as isopulegol(0.3 to 0.8%), neo-Menthol (1.0 to 3.0%) and Menthol (50 to 80%),ketones such as Menthone (5.0 to 25.0%), d-Isomenthone (3.0 to 6.0%),Pulegone (0.0 to 0.3%) and Piperitone (0.2 to 0.6%), monoterpenes suchas l-Limonene (1.0 to 4.5%), and sesquiterpenes such asbeta-Caryophyllene (0.4 to 1.0%) and Germacrene D (0.5 to 2.5%).

The oil chemistry and flavor profile of ‘Umpqua’ is sustained throughoutits maturity when grown in U.S. mint producing regions.

-   Botanical description: M. canadensis ‘Umpqua’ is an herbaceous    perennial with an upright shrubby growth habit. The plant spreads by    stolons. It is reasonable for a single rooted cutting to spread and    cover 3-4 square feet after one growing season. Numerous branching    stems are produced each year with an eventual height of 70-80 cm.-   Stem and leaves: Umpqua has a square stem, 7-8 mm on a side. Stems    and lanceolate leaves are pubescent, oppositely arranged on the stem    with an equilateral base, an acute apex, serrate margin, and    decreasing in size towards the apex of a blooming stem. Leaf surface    color is medium green, with the ventral leaf surface, petiole, and    stem being a slightly lighter green color. The base of the stem has    a more “woody” appearance and quality with more brownish coloring    and fissures. The fragrance is clean mint-like.-   Flower: Umpqua possesses a flower spike with a pair of bract-like    leaves subtending each verticillaster. The individual flowers    contain a 4-lobed, nearly regular mostly white corolla with a short    tube, 8 mm long from the base of the calyx to the tip of the forked    white stigma. The calyx generally has an average of five teeth fused    at the base forming a short tube and is 3 mm long. The calyx,    peduncle and pedicel colors are light yellow green. Each flower has    one pistil with an 8 mm long white style and four epipetalous    stamens that are exerted with 4 mm long white filaments. The white    anthers are less than 1 mm. The pollen color is yellow and the    formation of seed is a rare event. There is no obvious flower    fragrance.

The above description is based on observations of a field plot madeduring the middle of its second growing season outdoors in westernOregon.

A single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) is a substitution of a nucleotidethat occurs at a specific position in the genome. SNPs are the mostcommon form of genome variation. SNPs are abundant and widelydistributed within the genome. Genotyping by sequencing (GBS) is amethod to discover SNP in order to perform genotyping studies. Mintgenomic DNA was extracted and digested using restriction enzyme ApeKI.Next generation sequencing was performed resulting in about 100 bpsingle end reads. Raw sequence data are filtered and are aligned toMentha longifolia genome as a reference. A total of 207,309 quality SNPswas found and selected from 15 M. x piperita, M. canadensis, and M.aquatica varieties by using GBS.

Examples of SNPs among the 5 M. canadensis varieties are shown in FIG.3. It revealed 19 SNPs at physical positions 6410, 6425, 6434, 6435,6440, 6441, 109606, 109611, 109623, 109635, 109636, 109651, 147675,147676, 147682, 147708, 147709, 147716, 147725 distinguishing 3populations of Umpqua from Shivalik and Metolius. For example, from thepositions 6440-6441 which reads GC for Umpqua vs AT for Shivalik andMetolius; from the positions 109635 to 109636 which reads AC for Umpquavs TA for Shivalik and Metolius.

Above genetic description based on SNP markers indicated a close geneticrelationship between Umpqua with other M. canadensis varieties and theunique genetic profiles of Umpqua from other M. canadensis varieties andthese SNP variations are within the different varieties of the same mintspecies M. canadensis.

Umpqua has been grown in different field locations. Umpqua has also beengrown under greenhouse conditions. The basic morphologicalcharacteristics have remained consistent, with minor differences easilyattributed to differences in climate, soils, fertilizer, water regime,etc. Umpqua remains distinct from other mints in its characteristics.

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Mentha canadensisnamed ‘Umpqua’ substantially as shown and described.